Ski-bob

ABSTRACT

A ski-bob includes a chassis, a steerable front ski, and two rear skis connected independently to the chassis by two suspension devices. Each suspension device includes at least one pair of arms pivotally interconnected together and pivotally connected to the rear ski and to the chassis about transverse axes, and torsion operating shock absorbing members acting between the parts pivotally connected together about at least two of these axes.

United States Patent [:91

Evequoz [H1 3,894,746 [451 July 15, 1975 SKI-BOB [76] Inventor:Jean-Yves Evequoz, l7, route de la Dixence, Sion, Switzerland [22]Filed: Feb. 13, 1974 2| Appl. No.: 442,203

Related US. Application Data. [62] Division of Ser. No. 260,027. June 2,I972, Pat. No.

[52] US. Cl. 280/16; 280/25 [51] Int. Cl B62b 13/04 [58] Field of Search280/16, 25; [80/5 R [5 6] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS3,525.41 1 8/1970 Hagen 280/25 X 3,635 488 l/l972 Bauer 280/25 PrimaryExaminer-Robert R. Song Attorney. Agent, or FirmRaymond A. Robic; ArthurSchwartz [57] ABSTRACT A ski-bob includes a chassis, a steerable frontski, and two rear skis connected independently to the chassis by twosuspension devices. Each suspension device includes at least one pair ofarms pivotally interconnected together and pivotally connected to therear ski and to the chassis about transverse axes, and torsion operatingshock absorbing members acting between the parts pivotally connectedtogether about at least two of these axes.

3 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures SKI-BOB This is a division of applicationSer. No. 260,027, filed June 2. 1972 now US. Pat. No. 3,858,896.

The invention relates to ski-bobs, sometimes referred to as ski cycles.

According to the invention, a ski-bob comprises a chassis, a steerablefront ski, and two rear skis connected independently to the chassis bytwo suspension devices, each suspension device including two armspivotally interconnected together about a first transverse axis one armbeing pivotally connected to the chassis about a second transverse axis,and the other arm being pivotally connected to a rear ski about a thirdtransverse axis, and two torsion-operating shock absorbing membersacting between the parts pivotally connected together at two of saidthree axes.

Embodiments of the invention will now be particularly described, by wayof example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a side-elevational view of a first embodiment, partially incross-section through a median plane;

FIG. 2 is a cross-section taken along line lI-II of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a side-elevational view of the second embodiment; and

FIG. 4 is a cross-section taken along line IIII of FIG. 3.

The ski-bob shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 comprises a streamlined chassis 10, aseat 1], a steering column 12, a steerable front ski 13, a steering bar17, and two rear skis 19.

The steering column 12, which has not been shown in detail, includes twotelescopic tubes connected together about a shock absorbing spring.

The chassis It]. provided in sectioned metal bars, includes a main body50, at a front end of which the steering column 12 is pivotally mounted,and a rigid support arm 51 pivotally mounted on a rear part of the body50 about a torsion operating shock absorbing member 52.

The rear skis 19 are connected to the support arm 51 by four arms 38pivotally connected at lower ends thereof to the skis 19 abouttransverse shafts 39 and pivotally connected at upper ends thereof tothe support arm SI by means of torsion operating shock absorbing members40 on either side of the member 52. The spacing between the shafts 39 isequal to that between the axes of members 40, so that each ski 19together with its pair of arms 38 and support arm 51 forms anelastically deformable parallelogram.

The seat 11 is carried by a lever 53 pivotally connected to the frontpart of body 50 about a transverse pin 54, and supported on the supportarm 51 by a telescopic shock absorber 55.

The described ski-bob has the advantage that the deformableparallelogram associated with each rear ski 19 may itself pivot relativeto the chassis about the transverse axis of member 52, which enables therear skis to better adapt to the track, particularly over bumpy partsthereof.

The ski-bob shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 includes a streamlined chassis 20, asteering column 22 pivotally mounted at a front end of the chassis 20, asteerable front ski 23, a steering bar 24, two foot rests 25 protrudingfrom opposite sides ofa lower bar of the chassis 20, and two rear skis26.

The front ski 23 is connected to the steering column 22 by an elasticsuspension device including four arms 28 pairs of which are pivotallyinterconnected together about torsion operating shock absorbing members29, the four arms forming a deformable quadrilateral which may bedeformed by pivoting about generally transverse axes.

The rear skis 26 are connected independently to the lower bar of thechassis 20 by two suspension devices each including two pairs of arms 30pivotally intereon' nected together about torsion operating shockabsorbing members 31 arranged to pivot about transverse axes, The upperarms 30 are pivotally connected to the lower bar of chassis 20 about thetransverse axes of torsion operating shock absorbing members 31, and thelower arms are connected to the rear skis 26 in a similar manner.

The latter described ski-bob has the advantage that the rear skis 26 cantake different inclinations relative to the chassis 20 and are thereforeable to indepen' dently adapt to inequalities of the track.

What is claimed is:

I. A ski-bob comprising:

a. a chassis including a main body and a support arm,

b. a steerable front ski connected to said chassis,

c. two rear skis, each rear ski being independently connected to saidchassis by a pair of suspension devices,

d. each suspension device comprising a pair of unitary arms ofsubstantially equal length and being pivotally connected at one end tosaid chassis about first spaced apart substantially transverse axes andbeing pivotally connected at the other end to a rear ski about secondspaced apart substan tially transverse axes,

e. a torsion shock absorbing means connected to each suspension deviceat one of said axis,

f. said main body supporting said front ski and the forward pair ofsuspension devices,

g. said support arm supporting the rearward pair of suspension devices,and

h. said main body and said support arm being pivotally conneetedtogether.

2. A ski-bob as defined in claim 1 wherein said torsion shock absorbingmeans is at the end connected to said chassis.

3. A ski-bob as defined in claim 1 including a torsion operated shockabsorbing member positioned between said main body and said support arm.

1. A ski-bob comprising: a. a chassis including a main body and asupport arm, b. a steerable front ski connected to said chassis, c. tworear skis, each rear ski being independently connected to said chassisby a pair of suspension devices, d. each suspension device comprising apair of unitary arms of substantially equal length and being pivotallyconnected at one end to said chassis about first spaced apartsubstantially transverse axes and being pivotally connected at the otherend to a rear ski about second spaced apart substantially transverseaxes, e. a torsion shock absorbing means connected to each suspensiondevice at one of said axis, f. said main body supporting said front skiand the forward pair of suspension devices, g. said support armsupporting the rearward pair of suspension devices, and h. said mainbody and said support arm being pivotally connected together.
 2. Aski-bob as defined in claim 1 wherein said torsion shock absorbing meansis at the end connected to said chassis.
 3. A ski-bob as defined inclaim 1 including a torsion operated shock absorbing member positionedbetween said main body and said support arm.